Stop! Do Halloween Candy Right!

For many of us, Halloween officially starts the holiday season. The grocery store’s aisles filled for weeks with vast amounts of chocolates, caramels, gumballs, and lollipops that provide anticipation of an exciting time! But with this comes the price of high blood sugars and overeating for diabetics.

All of us need to curb our Halloween appetites, but unfortunately, easier said than done. With that thought in place, we are all on the same page, aware that increased blood glucose levels may be unavoidable for everyone, but hopefully at a slower and healthier rate.

So to be realistic, all regular sweetened candy has carbohydrate and sugar content but added fat and protein will slow down a blood sugar spike. A diabetic adult or child with sensible planning can enjoy Halloween just as much as the next person.

A healthy diabetic diet plan can include sweet foods.

For example, sweet and sour worms, gummy bears, and lollipops are nearly straight sugar with hardly any added fat or protein. Consequently, they will immediately enter the bloodstream and raise blood sugars quickly. So let us avoid them as much as possible.

On the other hand, almonds and peanuts covered or combined with chocolate are better choices. The fat and protein content helps slow down blood sugars. Consider dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for the addition of antioxidants and flavanols.

(Diabetics with nut or peanut allergies consider choosing plain chocolate candy.)

Labels

• Reviewing candy package nutrition facts helps visualize a serving size and grams of carbohydrates to monitor diabetic glucose levels.
• Generally speaking, a diabetic should be aware that one serving size of any carbohydrate equals 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Hold Off

• I never purchase Halloween sweets far in advance; too tempting sitting in the cupboard, so I leave the purchases as close to the day as possible.

Big Bite Versus Little Bite

• Avoiding supersize bags is a sure way of not having a vast amount of leftover candy lying around the house. Running out of candy is best for my family’s appetite.
• Choosing bite-size is better than bigger and candy that is not on the favorite list. Smaller sizes allow everyone to have more and choose from a variety instead of just one or two.

True or Not True

• I am also aware of anything sounding too good to be true. A candy apple may be healthy-sounding, but it is a large-sized apple dipped in melt-in-the-mouth candy.

Work and School

• Appealing as it may seem, taking leftover candy to work and school is not a good idea. Unneeded candy snacking will cause increased blood sugars that will need addressing.

Health

• Halloween night has arrived. It has been hectic fitting in last-minute costume adjustments and filling candy bowls. On an empty stomach, vast amounts of candy sitting around could be disastrous to blood sugars and weight. To keep from devouring everything in sight, make the time to eat something healthy before all the activities start.

By the Way

If I only take a bite of candy and throw the rest away, I do not let guilt get the best of me!

Have lots of Halloween fun!

Disclaimer: My food and nutrition articles are for informational purposes only. Always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance and orders.

Thank you for reading:-)